Stephanie Calmenson, Children's Book Author

May I Pet Your Dog? The How-to Guide for KIDS Meeting DOGS (and DOGS Meeting KIDS)

May I Pet Your Dog? The How-to Guide for KIDS Meeting DOGS (and DOGS Meeting KIDS)
ASIN: 0618510346
ISBN: 9780618510344
NOW IN PRINT!

Illustrated by Jan Ormerod
Do you like dogs? Would you like to meet some, pet some, even see some tricks? Stephanie Calmenson’s own dog, Harry, will show you how. The first thing to remember is: Always ask MAY I PET YOUR DOG?

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About the Book

Click here to meet Harry

 

“Dachshund Harry leads the youngest readers through every step of kid-meets-dog etiquette… The line-and-watercolor illustrations are as simple and patient as the text, placing the viewer in a straight-on and consistent position for Harry’s how-tos, reinforcing the way the “lessons” build on each other…What is perhaps most engaging about the book is the direct address from dog to child.”

– Horn Book Magazine, starred review; Fanfare Best Book of 2007

 

“Harry is a cheerful and friendly long-haired dachshund who serves as the first-person narrator for this thoughtful look at the best way for a child to meet dogs… Children who are afraid of dogs, as well as those who love them, will find this volume useful and encouraging.”

– Kirkus Reviews

 

“A little boy learns from Harry, a dachshund, how to treat an unfamiliar dog safely and politely…friendly, gentle voice…positive, encouraging tone … Harry’s advice will certainly come in handy, and dogs will appreciate the safety and consideration shown by readers who put the techniques into practice.”

– School Library Journal

 

“Calmenson’s ease with declarative sentences makes this the perfect book for the sidewalk dog stalker. The narration is from the point of view of Harry, a real long-haired, dappled Dachshund…Calmenson, the author of one of my all-time-favorite dog books for children, Rosie, A Visiting Dog’s Story, concludes with a roundup of practical tips…as well as some important advice: Remember, dogs have feelings too.”

– Bark Magazine

 

“Harry the dachshund narrates this explanation of safe kid-dog interaction, covering important aspects such as permission…safe approaches…and general philosophy…There’s a clear message that dogs and situations vary…This is a subject usually relegated to a page or two, at best, of dog books, and it’s useful to see it thoroughly explored as its own topic, since dog encounters are a big part of kids’ sidewalk travel…the book is clear and helpful…This will not only be a helpful lesson for heedlessly enthusiastic youngsters, it will provide more timid kids with useful tools that might make them feel more in control of inter-species encounters.”

– The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

 

“Thank you very much for sending me a preview copy of Stephanie Calmenson’s engaging book “May I Pet Your Dog?” I found the book delightful, very well illustrated, and informative. It sets just the right tone to encourage children to interact with animals in the correct way. Bravo!”

– W. Jean Dodds, DVM

 

“What a good book…really, really smart!…It’s full of all the information you want to give a child….The safety rules are so explicit and yet so digestible…done in a way that children will want to absorb the information…[Harry] is so cute and adorable…we’ve read this book a zillion times!”

– Andrea Ross, “Just One More Book”

 

“Required reading for every dog lover!”
– Lisa Von Drasek, Children’s Librarian, Bank Street College

 

Available as an award-winning video from Dreamscape Media.
“Offering an excellent primer for youngsters on how to approach strange dogs, this iconographic-animated adaptation is based on the picture book written by Stephanie Calmenson and illustrated by Jan Ormerod… DVD extras includes “Sharing My Story” conversation with Calmenson, who talks about her life with her real pet Harry. Highly recommended.”
– Video Librarian starred review, ALA Notable Children’s Video Award

Activity Sheets

Activity pages created by Emily Klein for the May I Pet Your Dog? literacy campaign benefiting SitStayRead, an organization devoted to advancing children’s literacy skills with the help of specially trained dogs.

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